Does Al Pacino ever rest? This tale of political
intrigue has him playing the mayor of New York, a principled and
moral manipulator, if you can picture that. John Cusack plays
Kevin Calhoun, the mayor's right-hand man who gets sucked into
a murder investigation. It's a man's world out there--there are
hardly any women in this movie except Bridget Fonda, who rushes
through her small role like she can't wait to get out of there.
The main appeal of this movie is the excellent acting by Cusack
andDanny Aiello, as well as a refreshingly restrained performance
by Pacino, but the story never rises above mediocre. After this
movie one guy leaving the theater started yelling, "That
was terrible! Now I know why I don't go to movies anymore: They
suck!" I wouldn't say it was that bad, but I don't think
it's worth $7 to sit in the fetid air of a multiplex and inhale
mediocrity.